School and college buses used for transporting migrant workers in Indore

Indore: For the first time in country, private education buses have taken a lead in helping migrant workers. The first 5 buses transported migrant workers from Rau circle to Manglia square delivering about 1,000 workers on the first day on Wednesday.

Taking an initiative to facilitate safety and commute for migrant workers, owner of a private institute Akshay Kanti Bam had proposed ‘Relay Support’ transport wherein many educational private institutes are willing to chip in and provide their buses for transport. A letter sharing the idea and seeking permission was submitted to the collector and discussed with MP Shankar Lalwani.

“To provide free transport facility by making a chain from 50/60 km distance from one city to another city thereby migrant workers who are passing through Indore bypass reach nearer to their destination by different institute/buses,” the idea as share by Bam to the authorities.

To understand it simply, buses of private institutes would drop the migrant workers to a certain distance out of the city. “The buses would follow requisite social distancing norms and sanitisation so as to assure safety,” Bam said.

The bus would drop migrant workers at a particular point. “From there on, another bus can take over like a relay race and hopefully, we can make the commute to home for migrant workers easier,” Bam said.

Until now, migrant workers are travelling on foot, cycling or mostly, bulking up on trucks and transport vehicle. A recent shocking incident about 18 migrant workers travelling in the belly of a concrete mixer gave goose bumps to everyone including the educationist.

Stuffed in the concrete mixer with barely any light or air was a desperate cry of help from migrant workers, who wanted to get home.

The proposal was accepted by collector Manish Singh early on Wednesday morning and the buses started plying migrant workers within a couple of hours.

As per the proposed plan this relay idea, which can be applied only with coordination from all over the state to help migrants get home.

On the first day, 5 buses transported 1,000 migrant workers. Further, to ease the commute and enforce the relay transport plan, other education institutes will join in soon.

“I got confirmations from 5 to 6 institutes immediately to join the drive, further, Association of Chartered Accountants and other school owners association with 126 members is willing to join the initiative,” Bam shared.